My bunnies don’t like toys!

[Deleted User]

I have read how important it is to give bunnies mental stimultion, such as toys. I have provided different toys such as, balls, cardboard rings, toilet paper tubes filled with hay, hard baby teething rings/keys. And they just don’t seem to be into any of it. Before I invest in any kind of toy, I’d like to have any suggestions on what to buy that they might be interested in!

[Beka27]

WILLOW!!! Willow toys are a big hit with the majority of bunnies. Also, bigger cardboard structures (like boxes with holes cut out for doors) are preferable over small cardboard rolls b/c they can be hidden in and chewed without the whole thing moving. In my experience buns prefer things they can chew that won’t move. Some buns are “throwers” which is where the baby keys or balls would come in, but if your bun doesn’t like to throw things, there’s no point in giving those particular toys. One of our members makes flavored balsa wood toys that are available on this website. My buns love those too!

[bunnytowne]

Cardboard Boxes    newspaper    phonebooks.     The best most fav   is the cardboard box  and the willow and balsa chews.

I dont’ waste my $ on store bought toys for them.   I order online.  

The store bought toys just don’t get it.

[Deleted User]

Thanks so much!! I’ll def. try the willow toys and the balsa. When I bought some of the toys like the plastic keys, I thouht my Ollie would like them, he loves “rearranging” all of his stuff in his cage. But he has never touched the toys. I guess if I was a bunny I’d rather have flavored balsa wood in my mouth than plastc

[Monkeybun]

Monkey lives the mini willow balls on here. she demolishes them in no time. Moose likes the cubes

[wendyzski]

Pepper has ignored virtually every “toy” I ever bought for her.  But by watching what she likes to do I came up with some things she likes.

1) She’s very “project-oriented”, so I will keep large cardboard boxes and cut doorways in them to make hidey-runs.  Sometimes I tape a couple together.  I purposely cut the doorways a little too small so that she can “remodel” then to her heart’s content.  I also sometimes stuff crumpled paper inside (so that she can re-arrange or dig) or put some large apple branches through (so that she can work through/around them)

2) She likes anything that smells like food, so empty boxes and containers get tossed on the floor for a day or so.  Last night she spent nearly 45 minutes trying to get to the last couple of crumbs in the bottom of a bag that used to hold amaretto cookies – it was hilarious!  Apparently the boxes that used to hold green tea or oatmeal are also especially appealing.

3) She likes to have things arranged just so, so sometimes I push lightweight things up against the wall so that she will want to move them to suit herself.  These need to be things that can be chewed or damaged, like a stack of catalogs or a large box.  Gives her something to do.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Some bunnies like to toss (rattles and plush toys), some like to rip (paper toys and cardboard and willow and seagrass) some like to dig (Diggy boxes made with shredded paper to dig in) and some like to run and hid-(cat condo’s, cardboard boxes, tunnesl and mazes)

If your bun isn’t interested in shredding or throwing (Activities that she’d do with the toys you mentioned) try a diggy box or a cardboard home, cat condo, tunnel or maze haven

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the help everyone! I never thought of the diggy box! I’ll def. be trying that too.

And wendyskzi, your “boxes that smell like food” inspired me to try something today that was a BIG hit with Ollie & Coco.
I have tons of ribbon, (bc I love crafty things, but thats another story ) so I took the empty cardboard ribbon spool, and stuffed some cilantro down into one of the holes. So it was basically like the cheap, homemade version of a rabbit “kong” toy. That really kept them busy for a while, I have never seen them so frantic to get at a piece of cilantro!

[wendyzski]

That ribbon thing sounds great. 

I got some small free priority mail boxes at the post office (about VHS tape size) and stuffed some fresh hay, a couple of raisins and a small dab of peanut butter inside while assembling it.  Then I poked and cut some small holes in it and “accidentally” left if on the floor.  (She likes things much better if she thinks she’s getting away with something).  That kept her occupied for DAYS.  Granted it made a bit of a mess on the carpet but it was well worth it in giggles.

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